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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29516139">Relight That Spark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayKay1006/pseuds/KayKay1006'>KayKay1006</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Comfort, Flashbacks, Former High School Sweethearts, Hugs, Hurt, M/M, Willex being soft Bois, highschool reunion, idk how else to tag this, rekindling of old flames</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:21:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29516139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayKay1006/pseuds/KayKay1006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Twenty years ago, Willie and Alex were the most iconic couple at Loz Feliz High. But like all good things, their relationship also came to an end. </p><p>Will things be rekindled at a high school reunion as they both recount experiences from their past?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Willex - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Relight That Spark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey! Thank you for clicking on this fic. I really appreciate it. I had this idea a few days ago and immediately was obsessed. I would never have finished this without my hype team (y'all know who you are), so huge thanks to them. Without further ado, here's the story and I hope you enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The gym lights were just as bright and garish as Willie remembered them. They looked even brighter on this fine evening, marking 20 years of graduating highschool for him and the others here. The place was decorated, with cheesy under the sea decorations and tacky metallic balloons in the number 2 and 0. </p><p>At first, Willie had been kinda excited to come. There were a lot of friends he missed, a lot of people he wanted to catch up with. And then there were also people he'd rather not see. Like his highschool sweetheart, Alexander Mercer. </p><p>Willie was going through a hard time. His uncle had passed away recently, and it was hitting him hard. Caleb Covington took care of him since his parents died when he was 15. He was a role model to the young boy, and someone who helped him truly embrace his identity. If he was being honest, if it wasn't for Uncle Caleb, he'd probably still be in the closet. </p><p>~</p><p>Alex was nervous. Even after twenty years, his anxiety still wasn't calm. He thought of skipping the reunion, but a tiny part of him begged him to go. He was sort of curious how the rest of his classmate's lives turned out. </p><p>He thought the gym looked magical, and brought back so many memories of school dances he'd rather not relive. Dances his parents forced him to attend with a girl draped on his arm. Dances where he and Willie tried to catch each other's gaze from opposite sides of the room. </p><p>Painful memories, he realized. Memories of a time when he was suppressed. And yet he was so much happier then, with their hushed love poems, and soft, intimate giggles. The kisses under the bleachers after he won a football game. </p><p>Alex had been looking around the gym when his eyes caught Willie's. </p><p>~~</p><p>Willie was low-key panicking. He saw a blonde head of hair, and kind blue eyes and fidgeting hands and immediately knew who he was looking at. It didn't matter that it had been twenty years. It wouldn't matter if it had been a hundred. He'd recognize Alex anywhere. </p><p>Alexander Mercer. The boy who stole his heart. A lot of people thought they'd get married straight out of high school. That's how in love they were. But...shit happened, and their love sadly did not survive. </p><p>Willie remembered the day they'd met. It was the most cliché meeting ever. And his first words to Alex were hilarious. </p><p>~</p><p>He felt the wind on his face as he raced to school. He was going to be so late. This was not good at all. Willie used his foot to gain a little more traction, seeing the school up in the distance. But then something unexpected happened. </p><p>He crashed to the ground, landing in tangled limbs with someone else. He'd fallen on this person, and felt a strong body underneath his own. "Dude. You dinged my board." Willie scoffed, getting up. That's when he finally got a look at the person under him. </p><p>Gorgeous was the first thing that came to mind. Tall came shortly after. And then Willie recognized him. He'd crashed into the star quarterback of the football team. </p><p>"Dinged your board? You ran me over." The blonde replied, kind of defensively. There was that famous temper of his. The one that showed up at all his games. Alex had gotten a red card for unnecessary violence a few too many times, which was funny considering the whole sport was based around violence. Willie offered him a hand, which he pushed away, choosing to scramble to his feet by himself. </p><p>"Ah, right. Okay. It might be my fault. I'm Willie." The skater introduced himself, unbuckling his helmet. With a quick swoosh, he let down his hair, shaking it out a little. And Alex couldn't not stare. If he was already standing, he'd probably have lost his balance already. Alex seemed to forget how to speak. "I uh... Alex." He settled on a one word introduction in the end, finally getting to his feet. </p><p>"I'm...really sorry, dude. Are you okay?" Willie enquired, going to place an arm on Alex's shoulder. The quarterback flinched away, folding his arms and closing off immediately. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." </p><p>And with that, they'd parted ways </p><p>~~~~</p><p>Alex felt his heart clench in his throat as Willie started making his way over. God, he'd aged so well. He was still as gorgeous as he was all those years ago. </p><p>"H-hey." Alex squeaked out when he was close enough to hear. "How have you been?" Willie stopped a few feet away. Not too close. Why was this so awkward? </p><p>"Good, good. You?" Willie asked, peering at his ex. His eyes drifted down to his tightly gripped knuckles. No wedding ring. Interesting. "I'm good too." Alex smiled, fiddling with his tie. "How's Caleb?" </p><p>Caleb had been as important to Alex as he had to Willie. Having an openly gay, happily married older man to look up to in his teenage years was life changing for Alex. He looked up to Caleb so much, which was why Willie was dreading having to tell him. </p><p>"Oh, uh... He passed away a few weeks ago. It was...peacefully. yeah." Willies voice dropped more with each and every word. </p><p>Alex's heart dropped. Caleb had been such a huge influence in his life and after he and Willie broke up, Alex didn't even bother to keep in touch. Was it really anyone's fault but his that he hadn't got to say goodbye? </p><p>"O-oh." He cleared his throat, now fiddling with the button on his blazer. "I'm sorry. That... It's good that he went peacefully." Alex peered up at Willie. They were both really sad. Caleb was like a dad to the two of them. "I'm..going to hug you." </p><p>Alex took two steps forward, and wrapped his arms around his ex. Immediately a hushed whisper fell about the gym. Teenagers loved gossip, and it would seem this group never really grew out of that. </p><p>A lot of people expected them to come in together, but they hadn't. They'd really just been waiting for something to happen. And a hug was something. A hug was something indeed. </p><p>Willie melted into Alex's embrace, and the tears he'd been holding in for so long spilled out. He'd tried staying strong. For Caleb's husband, and the rest of his family. For himself. </p><p>Willie always felt things a lot more deeply than others. And people had sometimes made him feel bad about it. But he'd eventually learned to embrace it. This ability of his, was not a curse. It was the biggest blessing. It made him, him. </p><p>But it was times like these he wished he could dial his emotions down. Wished that he could stop feeling so deeply, and not miss his uncle this much. </p><p>"Shh... It's okay." Willie had forgotten what Alex's whispers sounded like. The way his voice broke when he was trying to be gentle. "It's okay to hurt." That was something they'd both told each other before. </p><p>~~~</p><p>Friday night. Senior year final game.   Stakes were high, tensions were higher. Willie was watching nervously as the clock ticked down, second by second. Alex had the ball, and he was running. Running so hard, pushing harder than he'd ever pushed. </p><p>He didn't see the guy coming. Mularkey flew in out of nowhere. The collision was hard, and Alex's limbs were already screaming from the long game before him. They both hit the ground with an unsettling thud, just milliseconds before the buzzer announced the loss of the Los Feliz Felines (they wouldn't be the bobcats till ten years later). </p><p>Mularkey was fine, but Alex was in so much pain. He couldn't even get up. Willie had rushed out onto the field as fast as he could - after the shock wore off. That tackle... Was the scariest thing he'd ever witnessed. Time seemed to slow down as it happened. </p><p>Willie knelt down next to a stoney faced Alex. "You're going to be okay, Hotdog. Trust me, you're going to be fine. It's okay." He said, voice soft as his fingers guided themselves through Alex's sweat matted hair. </p><p>Alex's breaths were shallow. He was in pain, and very, very dizzy. His eyes seemed unfocused, and Willie was concerned. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against his boyfriend's. "Hey, look at me. I'm right here." </p><p>Willie had spent the night by Alex's hospital bed, and Alex had not shed a single tear through the whole thing. So when Willie got back from the cafeteria to find him with tear trails down his cheeks, he had just eight words of wisdom. "It's okay to hurt. It means you're not broken." He had a few more after that as well. About how the pain meant Alex still had full use of his entire body, and how it meant he was healing. </p><p>~~</p><p>It was okay to hurt. Willie knew that. He'd known that for years. So why did it take Alex reminding him about it to make him truly realize how much he missed Caleb? </p><p>He didn't want to pull away. Even after all these years, Alex's strong arms felt like home. "I've missed you." Willie whispered. "You didn't keep in touch." He knew it wasn't only Alex's fault, since he could've easily reached out if he wanted to. But the breakup was messy and college kept them busy and so they both moved on with their lives. </p><p>"I know. I'm sorry." Alex said, loosening his arms and taking a step back. "The year after high school was...strange." those words caused a pang in Willie's heart. He knew it must've been hard. Alex's injury caused him to give up on football altogether, and took him out of the running for so many scholarships. </p><p>Willie should've been there. But no, he'd run off to law school. But could you really blame him? Every time he looked at his boyfriend it pain it caused him his own kind of pain. Being around Alex was saddening when he was hurting. And it was taking its toll on Willie. Maybe that was why he had to leave. </p><p>"You wanna ditch this place?" Willie asked, tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear. Thankfully his bun was staying in place - maybe that had to do with the amount of hairspray he'd put on it. </p><p>Alex bit his lip, looking around. There weren't many people here and the party was kinda dull. They wouldn't miss too much if they did leave. "Sure. But where? Any ideas?" </p><p>He looked back up at Willie and this time, really took in his appearance. Dark strands of hair had escaped from his bun and were currently framing his high cheekbones, and the smile he had on was making his eyes crinkle up. </p><p>But take away his look for tonight and Alex could definitely imagine him in a courtroom. He knew Willie always wanted to do criminal law, stand up for those the police had wronged. Because when you're forsaken by the people that are supposed to protect you, where do you go? </p><p>After Alex's football dream was crushed along with his femur and shoulder that fateful day, he'd opted to be a music major. Which also wasn't surprising. He was in a band in middle school and part of high school - before he started football and before he met Willie. </p><p>Alex mostly produced music for upcoming young artists these days, but it was still fulfilling for him. Helping these younger people be heard, in the most effective way possible. </p><p>"Uh... I don't know. Maybe just...drive around for a while? I've got music." Willie said, holding his hand out for Alex. Alex gladly took it and out they went. </p><p>Willie had a convertible. It certainly was a step up from his dinged skateboard, which Alex took the opportunity to tease him about. "Where's the stickers? There are no stickers on this." </p><p>Back in high school, Willie had quite the sticker collection, and he chose to showcase it on his skateboard. Alex had found it absolutely adorable. "I found another place for them. Can't drive around in a car with stickers on it. No one would take me seriously." </p><p>They got in, and Willie turned on the stereo. He began driving slowly, focusing more on Alex than he did on the evening roads. "So seriously. How have you been? What's up?" </p><p>Alex...didn't know what to say. You know how you know exactly who you are and what you like until you have to introduce yourself to a group? Yeah, like that. "I uh... I produce music, now. And I play the drums. Which is really bad for my shoulder, but... It's much better than football and lets me get rid of the same amount of frustration." </p><p>Willie listened intently, watching Alex make gestures with his hands while he spoke. He always did that - Willie did too. Sometimes he wondered if one of them had picked it up from the other. You know, mirror neurons and all. </p><p>"What about you?" Willie had not prepared for the question to be shot back at him. But, he was a lawyer, and quite good with words. Plus, he had a smile that could melt hearts of stone and disrupt trains of thought. "I'm a criminal lawyer. It's...rewarding. being able to help people like that. I'm thinking about applying for a judgeship soon. Maybe in a few more years." </p><p>Alex nodded to indicate he was still listening, and leaned back. Whatever he was about to say next, he was clearly hesitating. "And how are things in the uh...love department? Boyfriend? Husband? Children?" His cheeks went red. He didn't want to pry, really. He just wanted to know if Willie was living the life Alex thought he deserved. </p><p>The question just made Willie laugh. "Yeah, no. Haven't exactly been lucky with that. I've definitely been focusing on my career." He didn't want to pass the question back, but ended up doing so anyways. He was curious too. "And you?" </p><p>"I actually just got out of a long relationship about a year ago. I...don't think I'm ready to jump back in to anything just yet." Alex said, fiddling with his fingers. </p><p>They drove around till they stumbled upon a big field, where Willie suggested they stargaze for a bit. "I wonder if all the stars we named together are still alive." He thought out loud. "I sure hope not." Alex teased. "The name Peppermintia is /still/ not in fashion." </p><p>The night was young, the sky bright - just like their futures once upon a time. Things had not worked out how they thought it would, for these two. But... Did that mean it was too late? </p><p>Alex peered over at Willie, who was still looking up at the sky with a bright smile on his face. The fact that neither of them had found someone was probably not a coincidence, right? It had been twenty years. That was plenty of time to find someone. </p><p>"Hey, Willie?" Alex sounded sleepy, even though he wasn't really. Willie slowly turned his head to look at him. "Yeah?" </p><p>"I know I said I wasn't ready to jump into anything new yet, but when I am... Do you think we could try us again?" </p><p>Willie chuckled, stretching out an arm for Alex to rest his head on, and pulling him close. "I'd like that, Hotdog. I'd really like that."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>That's it for the story! Kudos and comments are mega appreciated, but even if you don't/can't do either of those, thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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